1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle accessories and, in particular, concerns a cover for an automobile that is adapted to be anchored to the automobile prior to the complete positioning of the cover over the automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Owners of automobiles often want to cover their automobiles with some sort of cover so as to protect the vehicle from the elements. It is well understood that sunshine, rain and other weather conditions can seriously damage the finish of an automobile. In fact, prolonged exposure to the elements may result in the vehicle taking on an undesired appearance. This problem has become more pressing in congested urban environments where automobile owners are increasingly having to park their vehicles outside.
To address these particular problems, covers have been developed that are adapted to cover some, or possibly all, of the outer surface of the automobile. Typically, these covers consist of a single piece of fabric that is sewn together so as to define one generally large opening with a cavity therein. The cover is positioned on the car so that the perimeter of the opening is positioned adjacent the bottom surfaces of the automobile so that substantially all of the outer surfaces of the automobile are positioned within the cavity defined by the cover.
The covers are then often secured on the automobile by fasteners and the like. In some covers, the portion of the cover adjacent the opening is lined with an elastic material so that the opening generally grasps surfaces of the automobile so as to retain the cover on the automobile.
Covers of these types are very commonly used today and are made of a variety of materials that are adapted to protect the finish of the automobile from weather related damage. While these covers are commonly used and are generally successful in protecting the appearance of automobiles, these covers are often difficult to install onto the automobile. Typically, the user who is to position this cover onto an automobile must initially unstow the cover and then locate the perimeter of the opening that is to be positioned over the automobile. As the covers are usually stowed in a very compact form, this typically requires the user to at least partially spread the cover out so as to be able to find the perimeter of the opening prior to positioning the cover on the automobile. After locating the perimeter of the opening, the user then typically attempts to position an edge of the opening on a particular surface of the automobile.
For example, with a generally rectangular cover that is to entirely cover an automobile, the user may often initially find the rear surface of the opening that is adapted to be positioned adjacent the rear bumper of the automobile. The user then positions the rear surface of the opening adjacent the rear bumper of the automobile and then drags the rest of the cover forward over the top of the automobile so that the front surface of the opening of the cover can be positioned adjacent the opposed front bumper of the automobile.
However, there are several difficulties associated with performing this operation. Initially, it is often very difficult to easily locate any particular surface of the opening of the cover without at least partially spreading the cover out. In many circumstances, it is very inconvenient to be able to spread the cover out sufficiently so as to be able to identify the different portions of the opening to the cover. In fact, in some circumstances, it may be impossible to spread the cover out sufficiently to accurately locate a specific portion of the cover. Moreover, in windy conditions, the cover may be blown by the wind while the user is attempting to correctly orient the cover for positioning on the vehicle.
A further problem is that when the user partially installs the cover on, for example, the rear bumper of the automobile and then pulls the remainder of the cover over the top of the automobile so as to be able to position the front portion of the cover adjacent to the front bumper of the automobile, the partially installed rear portion of the cover may be pulled loose off of the rear of the automobile. For anyone who has attempted to put a cover on a car, it will be well appreciated that the problem of the partially installed cover becoming dislodged as a result of attempting to fully install the cover on the automobile is a very common, exasperating problem. This problem can also be exacerbated in certain weather conditions, such as wind, which can result in the cover becoming more easily dislodged.
To address this particular problem, automobile covers that are anchored to the automobile have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,421 discloses an automobile cover system which includes a container that is adapted to store the cover. The container is mounted to the car via metallic straps and a hinge system so that the container can be swung out from the trunk of the vehicle to thereby allow the cover to be extracted from the container with the container being anchored to the vehicle. While the system disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,421 allows for the cover to be anchored, the system is relatively cumbersome and complex. Initially, the system is adapted to be permanently mounted within the trunk of the automobile thereby permanently occupying valuable trunk space. Moreover, the system discloses the cover being on a spool positioned inside the container which is a very complex arrangement adding to the expense of the cover and also limiting the width of the cover to the width of the spool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,155 also discloses a car cover that is contained within a pouch that is adapted to be anchored to the inner portion of the trunk. This cover is not spooled and is contained within the pouch with the pouch being attached to the hinges of the trunk via straps. While this cover is anchored during positioning of a cover over the automobile, the anchoring of the cover to the trunk is very cumbersome in that the straps much stretch across the full width of the trunk and then be tied to the hinges of the trunk. Consequently, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,155 must either be installed in the automobile on a more permanent basis, thereby occupying trunk space and inhibiting easy use of the trunk, or the user must secure the cover assembly to the interior of the trunk each time the user wishes to use the cover device.
Moreover, the difficulties associated with locating various portions of the opening of the cover are not particularly well addressed by the device disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,155. In particular, the user must still at least partially remove the cover so as to be able to find the region of the opening that is adapted to be mounted on the front of the automobile. Again, this problem can be accentuated in certain weather conditions, such as high wind, where the cover would become increasingly cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,330 discloses yet another vehicle cover that is adapted to be anchored to the rear of the automobile. The cover assembly disclosed in this patent includes a container that has the cover on a spool which, as discussed above, results in a more complex, more expensive automobile cover. Moreover, this device is also difficult to install in the trunk of the automobile. In particular, the user must position a strap around an internal component of the trunk while both simultaneously holding the cover assembly in a desired position on the rear of the automobile and shutting the automobile trunk. Hence, the user must engage in a particularly cumbersome exercise to install the cover assembly on the automobile before use.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a car cover that can be anchored to the vehicle in such a manner that the anchoring can be accomplished easily and simply without requiring the cover to be permanently or near permanently mounted to the vehicle. Moreover, there is a need for a cover that also allows the user to easily locate the portion of the cover adjacent the opening in the cover that is to be positioned on the surface of the vehicle that is opposite to the surface to which the cover is anchored.